


I Am the Night

by ariadne83



Category: Batman: The Animated Series, Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-12
Updated: 2012-04-12
Packaged: 2017-11-03 12:50:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariadne83/pseuds/ariadne83
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny had never once complained about following Rachel to Metropolis. Gotham City was an entirely different story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am the Night

**Author's Note:**

> Huge, huge thanks to somehowunbroken for mad beta skills and last-minute handholding, and props to dancinbutterfly and lunabee34 for listening to me ramble
> 
> Content note: minor character in a serious medical emergency

Danny hated these things. He hated getting dressed up just to make nice with a bunch of blowhards who thought of cops as their personal security guards. That was why he and Stan had an understanding: he’d issue a polite invitation, as his New England manners dictated, and Danny would refuse. Unless he was really bored or really broke and hungry.

Did Commissioner Kalakaua care about that delicate system? No she did not. She saw a new-to-Gotham detective with existing connections to her most annoying demographic and sensed a PR coup. In short: here Danny was in his cheap monkey suit and he couldn’t even engage in his favorite pastime, i.e. baiting overpriveleged morons.

He sighed and drained his glass but mysteriously (not mysteriously at all; it never stopped being annoying the way they took in the cut of his jacket and melted away in search of better tips) none of the wait staff were around to take it from him. He debated just stashing it in an unoccupied corner somewhere but he had a gut feeling that Ma would know - the same way she’d known his room was a mess without actually seeing it - and make him pay. So, schlepping it back to the bar it was.

Which turned out not to be such a bad thing after all. Danny wound his way through the crowd only to find that Rachel had bailed up some poor bastard, her eyes glinting in Reporter Face mode. This was going to be _fun_.

“Hey, how’s it going?” He pushed his way through to the bar and held out his hand to tall, dark and doomed. “Danny Williams.”

“Steve McGarrett.”

McGarrett. As in McGarrett Enterprises. No wonder Rachel had that gleam in her eyes. Well, he had a firm handshake, at least – solid and confident, not crushing and douchebag-y. That put him one step above the rich assholes Danny’d met so far tonight.

“Daniel, how good of you to join us.”

“I’m just here for a refill. Don’t let me cut in on your… whatever. Interview, I’m guessing. She told you she used to work for the Daily Planet, right? Rachel White, ace reporter?”

McGarrett’s eyebrows shot up. “No, I’m pretty sure I would’ve remembered that.”

Rachel smacked Danny in the chest with the back of her hand. “I was hardly trying to engage in subterfuge. Edwards is my new married name.”

McGarrett nodded. “Right, Stanley…”

“Thought this would be a good opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to Gotham society.”

Danny snorted. “Please. You were totally engaging in subterfuge. You were banking on the fact that we’ve only been in town five minutes so no-one sees your face and speed dials their PR agent yet.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you – both of you,” McGarrett added, nodding to Danny. “But I have a… thing.” He gestured sharply over his shoulder with his thumb, smiled tightly and spun on his heel.

Danny rubbed at his mouth to hide a smile of his own; Rachel wasn’t above using her high heels as weapons he she felt justified.

“Was that absolutely necessary?”

“Y’know, I’m not sure, but it was fun. What’s up with you interrogating Stan’s new pals anyhow?”

“What’s with you turning up here and having an opinion about whom I should interrogate?”

Danny sighed. “Commissioner Kalakaua wanted me to make nice. Stan already put me on the guest list, so she figured I had an “in”, and let’s face it; we’re in Gotham City. Major Crimes is going to be interviewing these people every damn day.”

“Mhm,” Rachel said thoughtfully. “I have to admit, I don’t miss the days of trying to get pull quotes from weeping socialites.”

“OK, now it’s your turn: what’s so fascinating about a rich pretty boy?”

“He keeps interesting company. Look.” She tilted her head towards the group McGarret had joined – all beautiful, confident women ranging in age from their mid-twenties to their mid-fifties.

“I see… arm candy, and wealthy widows.”

“Honestly, do you still not read the papers?”

“I’ve been a little busy, what with moving to a crime capital.”

Rachel rolled her eyes, grabbed his shoulder and hauled him around until the two of them could look at the group side-on. “You see politicians, various career law enforcement agents, an environmental activist, a graduate of MIT, and a former Olympic athlete. Not a socialite among them, and yet he’s in the tabloids every week without fail. I’m telling you, Daniel, there’s something off about him.”

“You seem to be the only one who thinks so.”

“How often am I wrong?”

Not very. That was part of why Danny and Rachel still got along reasonably well: even during the separation, when he was miserable about being kicked out, he’d still appreciated her insight, and now, two years into divorce, he was actually looking forward to working alongside her again, albeit in an under-the-table, unofficial capacity.

“Fair point. Just try to keep your reality goggles on, OK? Not everything is a conspiracy just waiting to be busted wide open.”

At that, Rachel snorted. “We’re in Gotham City. Oh, and look: there, just arriving, is the chief medical examiner.”

Danny followed her gaze, and his jaw dropped open of its own accord. He knew that face; he’d seen that face a few hours ago, smiling up from a photo on his new partner’s desk. “Kelly,” he said flatly.

“Malia Kelly, yes.”

“That’s… OK, sorry, excuse me. I’m just gonna… go. Introduce myself, or whatever.” He downed his drink and set the empty glass down on the bar, ignoring Rachel’s laser-eyed stare. She could grill him some other time.

“Dr. Kelly? Hi, I’m Danny Williams.” He held out his hand and she took it with a cool, firm grip. “We haven’t been introduced yet, but your husband’s my new partner. Your wedding photo is beautiful, by the way.”

She smiled broadly. “Thank you. Is that your wife?”

Danny twisted around, waving briefly at Rachel when they locked eyes. “Ex-wife, actually. This whole getting-to-know-Gotham thing was her husband’s idea.” He gestured expansively to include the overly-ornate ballroom, the ridiculous ice sculpture, the tower of champagne – Stan’s idea of a neighborhood barbecue.

“Ah.” Malia smiled tightly, apologetically. “Sorry, I just assumed... At least you’re on good terms.”

Danny snorted. “We’ve had a few years of practice. And we have a daughter so we’re motivated to try and avoid screwing her up, as much as possible.”

"Then you're a step ahead of Chin's uncle and aunt. Twenty years since the divorce and they still argue over Christmas."

She spun him a story about the Kelly-Kalakaua-Liufau extended clan that made Danny's family tree seem like a bansai in comparison. All cops, every one, except for the Commissioner's daughter, and all with the colorful relationship histories that came with the law-enforcement territory.

They swapped stories for a while before Danny leaned forward and asked, “So, is this your usual crowd? I need to know who to avoid.”

Malia grinned. It made her eyes crinkle adorably at the corners, and Danny found himself grinning back.

“Steer clear of anyone wearing a lapel pin, whatever the design; they’re bound to be shilling for somebody.”

“You are one sharp lady.” Danny raised his glass in salute. “What’s your take on the resident billionaire?” He nodded over to Steve McGarrett, who was talking to a stunning brunette.

“Steve? He’s harmless. Intimidatingly dedicated to his work, and trust me, if Chin heard _me_ say that about someone else he’d die laughing at the irony.”

Danny raised his eyebrows. “Work-work or extracurricular work?”

“Both, I guess. He... packs a lot into his day," Malia said carefully. "I'm not sure where he gets the energy, but he volunteers at the youth centre with Chin whenever he can. And the woman he's talking to is a wildlife advocate, Catherine Rollins."

"I got the impression he keeps a hand in politics, too. Mayor Jameson's a friend of his, right?"

Malia smiled tightly, her eyes sad. "More like a family friend. She knew his father and his uncle. Anyway, that's how it goes in big business, right?"

"Yeah, it's one thing I hope I never get used to."

"You and me both."

"Here's to being out there making a difference." Danny raised his glass and Malia clinked hers against it. “So, what brings you to this den of iniquity?”

“I’m expanding a surgical fund, in partnership with Leslie Thompkins’ free clinic.”

“Expanding?”

“The need for it’s grown way beyond our capacity. There are so many people out there in need of everything from simple corrective procedures to life-saving surgery to palliative care. Thousands of them in pain needlessly, or unable to get back into the workforce; a lot of the time it’s both. And I’m slipping into the spiel.”

“No, hey, it’s a good spiel for a great cause. My Mom’s a physical therapist. I know it can be brutal sending people on their way when you know they’re not better. And I was lucky enough to be covered by my parents’ insurance when I blew out my knee in high school; I can’t even imagine...” Danny broke off and shuddered. He’d never, ever say it out loud but it was a relief knowing Grace would be taken care of if the worst happened. “Have you met the man of the hour yet? Stan Edwards, he’s kind of a tool but he’s alright.”

“That sounds like a ringing endorsement.”

“What can I say? I have a way with words.”

Malia laughed then, bright and sharp. She was nothing like what Danny might’ve expected from Chin’s wife, in every good way. If this was going to be his new life, making small talk with people he actually liked anyhow, maybe Gotham wouldn’t be so bad.

“That’s him over there, the guy with the Teeth.”

As they watched, Stan flashed his pearly-white cheese-fest grin at some Suit.

Malia snorted. “Thanks, Danny. Now, if I get to talk to him, I won’t be able to look away.”

“I can break the ice for you if you want. It just so happens I know his wife pretty well.” He turned and waved Rachel over but she shook her head, smiling. Danny put his hands over his chest in a silent plea, and he could see her roll her eyes from across the room. But, hah! He won; she grabbed a fresh drink and headed over.

“Rachel Edwards,” she said smoothly, extending a hand to Malia. “Whatever he’s been saying about me is in all likelihood regrettably true.”

“Malia Kelly. Your husband’s put on a hell of a show.”

“He does that from time to time.” Rachel smiled, and Malia smiled, and Danny found himself smiling too - so far, so good.

“Actually, Dr. Kelly was just talking about- Well, it’s your baby.”

“I’m a board member of Gotham Wellness. Our main focus at the moment is managing a surgical fund for Gotham’s uninsured and under-insured.”

“Oh yes, I’ve heard of your group. Backed by McGarrett Enterprises, if I remember correctly?” Rachel cut a glance at Danny when he almost choked on his drink. He shouldn’t have been surprised that McGarrett was involved in this, too. Nice detective work, Williams.

“They’re our largest contributor, yeah. Steve’s great; his personal donations kept us afloat in the first two years. But times are tougher now than ever, and we have to expand if we’re going to have a shot in hell of meeting people’s needs.”

“I thought Stan might be interested,” Danny added.

Rachel nodded thoughtfully. “Let’s go see, shall we?”

Malia’s eyes widened, and Danny almost felt guilty for introducing her to Rachel the Steamroller. And then she grinned. “Lead on. Nice meeting you, Danny.”

“Likewise.” Suddenly he had the sinking feeling he’d done something horribly wrong; between them, those two women could probably take Gotham society by storm. If Rachel didn’t get it into her head to sink McGarrett’s battleship, that was. An hour into the party, and Danny still didn’t have a handle on the guy. He wasn’t buying what Malia’d sold hook, line and sinker - he’d seen the acres’ worth of paperwork it’d taken to untangle all of LuthorCorp’s money-laundering - but it was enough to make him take a second look.

And a third and fourth. The first time Danny saw him he’d been preoccupied with the double-whammy of teasing Rachel and ruffling the feathers of one of Stan’s guests. Now he was really looking, he could see the guy was built like a tank. Now- Oh crap, now he’d been staring too long and McGarrett was coming over.

“Uh, hi.”

“Hey. Danny, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Look, I wanted to apologize for being rude earlier. Interrupting your conversation,” Danny clarified when McGarrett looked confused. The fact that it was complete bullshit was neither here nor there.

“I should thank you; my publicist hates surprise articles. Actually, she hates them so much your ex should be thanking you.”

Danny laughed. “Fat chance.”

“I take it your marriage didn’t end well.”

“Let’s just say we had professional disagreements. A crime reporter and a cop don’t make for the easiest mix.”

“So, did she tell you that you should arrest me?” McGarrett pitched his voice low, for Danny’s ears only, and Danny caught himself leaning forward.

“Uh. Well, that’s not really her call to make.” The back of his neck flushed hot, and Danny had to take a fortifying sip of his drink. Then McGarrett took a step forward into his space, and OK, Danny was totally not imagining the Vibe he was giving off.

“There’s such a thing as due process, y’know?” Danny started babbling. “I’d have to have a reasonable belief you’d broken the law, backed by hard evidence.” He almost cringed at the words that’d just come out of his mouth. Damnit, he hadn’t been tongue-tied over a guy in years.

McGarrett raised an eyebrow and smirked, but he didn’t laugh in Danny’s face so that was something. “Yeah, Chin says the same thing. Especially after a couple beers.”

“Right. I mean, we’ve only been working together for a day but he seems like my kinda guy.”

“Then you and I’ll probably see a lot more of each other,” McGarrett said smoothly, eyes locked on Danny’s. “Chin and Malia throw the best dinner parties.”

OK, that was... Danny wasn’t sure what it was; his brain said one thing, his libido something else entirely. No-one with McGarrett’s kind of money had ever been this blatant about trying to charm Danny’s pants off unless they were either slumming it or testing the waters to see if he could be bought. And since this was Gotham the odds were 60-40 in favor of the latter; hell, with Danny’s luck it could be both

He opened his mouth to say something - please god something clever and not another unintentional double-entendre - but then there was an almighty crash. He turned just in time to see Rachel drop to her knees.

“Stan! Darling, what’s wrong?”

Danny shoved his way through the gathering crowd. “Get back, everybody back.” He shared a glance with Malia, and they both dropped down on either side Rachel as Stan began to seize.

“Someone call 911,” Malia yelled as Danny stripped off his jacket to cushion Stan’s head from the unforgiving hardwood floor.

“Doc, his mouth is burnt.”

Malia swore under her breath and barked out orders for someone to bring her water, “And salt, a lot of salt. If he regains consciousness we need to get him to throw up.”

“You think he’s ingested something?”

“He’d just started a new drink.”

“Oh god,” Rachel cut in, tipping back and landing sprawled on her ass. “It was me, I brought it to him.”

“Do you remember who served you?”

She shook her head wildly. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“OK. It’s OK.” Danny snapped his fingers at the newly-arrived security guard. “I need you to keep everyone together. Nobody leaves until they’re cleared, not staff, not guests; nobody. We can’t know if anyone else has been targeted.”

“Yes sir.”

“And see if one of your people can rustle me up a baggie, a post-it and a Sharpie,” Danny added, glancing at the glass Stan dropped before he fell. God-fucking-damn this city.

The next few minutes were a nightmare as Danny did his best to assist Malia and preserve the scene, no energy to spare to help keep Rachel from going out of her mind. It was a relief when help finally arrived. Not least because Danny could hand over the scene to Meka Hanamoa; there was no question he was too close to this one, never mind the fact that he was at least one drink over the legal limit. He stood in the parking lot with Rachel, freezing his ass off as EMTs loaded Stan into an ambulance and Malia climbed in after them to help keep him breathing. Danny’s jacket was long gone, a mess of drool and vomit and potential evidence. And Rachel... She hadn’t said a word in a long while.

“Come on. I’ll get you a cab.”

“I need Grace,” Rachel replied stiffly. “I can’t- If she doesn’t get a chance to say goodbye I’ll never forgive myself.”

That would be the part where Danny was supposed to offer a platitude, but he couldn’t; he’d seen how grey Stan’s skin was.

“Alright, I’ll go get her.” And to think, yesterday Danny’d thought the worst thing was having to go to this damn party on a night when he had Grace. 20/20 hindsight was a bitch.

~~~

As far as Danny was concerned, the only good thing about having to wake his daughter up in the middle of the night and take her to the hospital to see her critically-ill stepdad was that now he had his service weapon. Like her mom, Grace had shut down and gone quiet, and the cab ride to Gotham General had made him feel useless, an utter failure as a parent. He was still pretty much useless to Rachel and Grace, caught up as they were in their own private hell. But there was still one thing he _could_ do: he had no idea if Rachel and Stan were the intended targets, or the only targets, and until they knew otherwise it was Danny’s duty to watch over them. All of them.

The girls were in a family meeting, more than likely being told to prepare themselves for the worst. And Danny was here, stationed outside Stan’s room with a gun at his hip, because Rachel wasn’t his family anymore. Not directly. He peeked in through the window again - anything to distract himself from self-pity - and took in the play of shadows on the wall, the lights blinking on Stan’s ventilator, the curtains... Oh fuck, the curtains shifting slightly in the breeze from the open window. Danny leaned forward until his nose was almost touching the glass, and waited. There it was - movement against the back wall, black on black. He never would’ve caught it if he hadn’t been searching for it. He drew his weapon, thumbed off the safety, and yanked open the door.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in a restricted area?” Danny sighted down his gun, kicking the door shut behind him and planting his heel against it. No way was he letting Grace or Rachel stumble into this.

The figure held up gloved hands and stepped forward, so the light from the hall fell across him. “I’m Batman. I’m here to help.”

Batman. Yeah, Danny’d heard of the guy. He vaguely remembered Rachel ranting about a Lifestyle piece covering so-called ‘caped crusaders’. But he wasn’t ready to let his guard down just yet.

“How exactly do you plan on helping? You got an antidote stashed away in your tights?”

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Danny thought he heard the guy snort.

“Not yet, but give me a few hours-”

“‘A few hours’ he says.” Danny shook his head and flicked the safety back on. “What, you think nobody else is on it yet?”

“My resources are better than anything Gotham PD has access to.”

“Ordinarily that might be true but see, my pal Stan, here, has a lot of money and friends in the right places. We’ve got the best forensics people Gotham can buy trying to figure out what he’s been dosed with. What’ve you got?”

“Get your gun out of my face and you’ll see,” Batman growled. Freakin’ _Batman_. If Stan woke up Danny was going to kill him for dragging them all to this rodent-infested hellhole.

“Okay, okay; no need to get twitchy.” He holstered his weapon but didn’t move an inch away from the door. “Do whatever you’re gonna do, but I’m staying right here.”

“Careful. People might start to think you care.”

What the fuck was that? Of course Danny cared; right now, his little girl was probably crying her eyes out, and that was just not kosher. “You angling for me to pop you in the mouth? Because that can be arranged for some other time when a man’s life isn’t at risk.”

Batman ninja-ed his way over to the bed - it was the only way Danny could describe it; one minute he was _here_ and the next he was _there_ \- and unsnapped a kit from... somewhere Danny didn’t want to think about.

“I’m just saying what your friends at headquarters will be thinking by tomorrow, if they’re not raising the possibility right now,” he said as he leaned over Stan and collected... stuff. More things Danny didn’t want to think about. “You were there when he got sick, he’s married to your ex...”

“Fuck you,” Danny spat. “If you think I’m such a petty asshole that I’d put my daughter and her mom through something like this you don’t know shit. Oh wait: you _don’t_ know shit about me. Just... do your CSI thing and scram, before they come back.”

On cue, the door handle rattled. Danny was distracted just long enough for Mr. Mysterious and Kooky to disappear out the seventh-floor window. Lunatic.

He put his game-face on and checked through the window before opening the door. “Hey, monkey.” He tried to keep his voice light and calm but it was a struggle. Sure enough, Gracie’s eyes were red, her little face solemn with worry, and Danny wanted nothing more than to pick her up and run, no stopping until he was past Gotham City limits. “You ready to say goodnight to Stan?”

“Uh huh.” She shuffled past, and he couldn’t resist putting his hand on her shoulder, following her over to the hospital bed, hovering over her a little - just a little - as she leaned in to kiss Stan on the cheek. “Good night. I love you.”

The wobble in Gracie’s voice tore at his heart. “He’ll be OK, monkey. He’s a tough guy.”

She flung her arms around his waist and hid her face against his shirt. And maybe Danny had a little something in his eye because damnit, his baby had such a big heart. He hoped like hell he wouldn’t have to break it in a few hours.

 

 

Mercifully, Grace fell asleep in the car on the drive home, not even stirring fully awake when he carried her inside, slipped off her sneakers, and tucked her back in. The sheer normalcy of it made him ache, and it turned out the only cure for it was to grab a blanket and curl up on the floor next to her bed. Just so’s he’d be close by if she needed anything - if she had a nightmare, or whatever.

Next thing he knew he was waking up with his face mashed into the carpet, Grace poking him in the shoulder.

“Daddy, your phone’s ringing.”

“Sorry I woke you, babe.” He fumbled his cell out of his pocket, wincing at the bright, flashing display. Ugh, six-thirty in the morning. But it was Rachel, so he had to take it. “I’m gonna talk to Mommy real quick. Go back to bed, monkey.”

He stepped out into the hall, closing the door carefully behind him, and as soon as he hit accept Rachel blurted out, “He’s alright! He’s pulled through, it’s a fucking miracle.”

Danny laughed. “Great. That’s fantastic new. I’ll bring Grace in later, and you can celebrate.”

“They won’t tell me who made the breakthrough with the antidote, which is driving me mad.”

“I’m sure Stan can bankroll a full investigation, ace.” And if she made Batman’s life interesting in the process, so much the better. The guy obviously needed a reality check; in the end they’d managed OK without his expert input.

EPILOGUE:

So, it turned out Batman wasn’t a total crackpot. Danny’d had to eat humble pie, and Pamela Isley, botanist turned ecoterrorist, had been shipped off to Arkham Asylum. Stan was still in the hospital, feverishly berating his people for their apparent abject failure to consult with the community over the project that nearly got him killed, Grace was starting the bounce back from the whole mess, Rachel had a shiny new obsession to investigate... And Danny had somehow managed to stumble head-first into what was shaping up to be a possible conspiracy, involving a local crime boss and the former District Attorney. Hell of a first week on the job.

Which was how he found himself on the roof of HQ, standing next to the goddamn motherfucking _Bat-signal_.

“Well well, if it isn’t my number one fan!”

Danny spun around without a thought, weapon raised. “Has no-one ever taught you not to sneak up on people in the dark? I guess not, with the whole Brooding and Mysterious thing, but come on! You’re on the rooftop of Gotham PD; did it not occur to you I’d be armed?” He shook his head and holstered his gun.

“I think you just like threatening to shoot me. You’re the one who called me here.”

“Whatever. It’s instinct; the last place I worked, some of the caped crowd were bulletproof.”

“I’m not, for the record.”

“Good to know, for future reference.”

Batman folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, guarding Danny’s exit. “We could flirt all night or you could just tell me what you need. I’m good either way.”

“Are you _out of your mind_? We are not- Whatever. Just forget it. I should know better than to argue with the kind of person who throws himself out of a seventh-storey window. What I need is for you to send me whatever information you have on Nick Taylor.”

That wiped the smirk off his face. “Why?”

“He’s a person of interest. And something in his file isn’t adding up.”

“So what you’re saying is you’re stuck, and you need my resources.”

“No that is not- OK, yes, you were right and I’m _so_ sorry I didn’t bow down to your awesomeness the very first time I met you. Happy, Mighty Mouse?”

“Actually bats are Chiroptera, not rodents. You should watch more Animal Planet.”

“Yeah, alright, I’ll get right on it.” Danny rolled his eyes and added. “I haven’t heard a ‘Yes, detective, I’ll get right on it’ yet.”

“You’re pretty cranky for someone who’s asking a favor. And yes, sir, Detective, sir. I’ll get right on it.”

 _Thank fuck_. “Alright, yuk it up on your own time. I have a date to get to.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind you being a little late. Just tell him I said hi.” And with that the bastard disappeared over the side of the building.

“I’ll have you know that’s SERIOUSLY CREEPY!” Danny yelled after him, into empty air. Gotham City was the _worst_.


End file.
